Glass isn't on the prohibited list. Mirrors, shower enclosures, old windows, tabletops and sliding doors all go to the landfill as ordinary debris. The reason it gets its own post is that glass causes more injuries during a cleanout than anything else in the trailer, and most of them happen to someone other than the person who put it there.
The basic rule
Load glass so that nobody will ever be surprised by it. That means whole, if possible; contained, if broken; and never buried under the load where a hand reaching in later will find it first.
Whole panes, mirrors and doors
- Stand them upright along one side wall of the trailer, glass facing the wall
- Put cardboard between panes if you're stacking several
- Tie or wedge them so they don't fall flat when the trailer moves
- Don't throw anything on top of them — load them last, or load them first and build the rest of the load away from them
A full-size dresser mirror or a glass tabletop laid flat on a pile of debris will break the moment the trailer hits a pothole, and then there is a sheet of broken glass under everything else.
Already-broken glass
Shower doors and tempered glass
Tempered glass — shower enclosures, patio table tops, some sliding doors — doesn't break into shards. It shatters into thousands of small cubes, all at once, and often without much provocation. Remove a tempered door in one piece if you can and stand it along the trailer wall. If it lets go, the cubes are less dangerous than shards but they get everywhere; sweep them up rather than leaving them in the driveway.
Windows with frames
Old aluminum window frames are worth scrapping. Knock the glass out into a box, then stack the frames separately. If you'd rather not, the window can go in whole, upright, glass to the wall.
What glass shouldn't go in
- Fluorescent tubes and CFL bulbs contain mercury — household hazardous waste, not the trailer
- TV and monitor screens are electronics, which have their own county recycling route
- Glass containers with anything liquid inside — empty them first; no liquids in the load
Glass from specific jobs
- Sliding glass door replacements: the most common glass job in Tampa Bay, especially impact-rated swaps. Old sliders are large tempered panels in aluminum frames. Leave the glass in the frame, stand the panel along the trailer wall, and scrap the frame later if you have the patience.
- Glass block: heavy for its size and it does not stack well. Treat it as heavy material low on the floor.
- Aquariums: the silicone joints fail when they're moved empty and dry. Carry it flat, set it flat on the floor, and don't load on top of it.
- Glass shelving and tabletops: cardboard between each sheet, standing along the wall.
- Skylights and shower enclosures: usually tempered or laminated. Laminated glass cracks but holds together; it goes in whole.
Whatever the source, the rule is the same. Whole glass stands along the wall; broken glass is boxed, taped and labeled; and nothing heavy is ever placed on top of either. A load built that way is safe for you during the week and for our driver on pickup day.
Frequently asked questions
Is glass a prohibited item?
No. Ordinary glass, mirrors and windows are fine in a standard landfill load. Only mercury-containing bulbs and electronics are excluded.
Should I break large glass to save room?
No. A whole pane standing along the wall takes almost no space and is far safer than a box of shards.
Does the driver check for loose glass?
The driver walks the load before pickup, but glass buried in a pile isn't visible. Loading it properly is on the person filling the trailer.
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